Envelope fastener



A. NQVCK ENVELOPE .FA'S'T'ENER Filed July 13, 1934 INVENTOR.

Abra/7am Nov/ck.

BY @0444/ 9 M ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 8, 1936 .NITE STATES eATLENT oFFlcE ENVELOPE FASTENERApplication July 13, 1934, Serial No. 734,980

3 Claims.

This invention relates to envelope fasteners of the type adapted to beclinched to the back of an envelope and provided with oppositelyextending, bendable tongues which normally lie fiat against 5 the backof the envelope, but which may be bent upwardly into substantialparallelism, passed through an opening in the envelope blank, and thenspread out fiat again to secure the flap in a closed position.

One object of the invention is to provide a fastener of this generaltype embodying improved means for attaching the same to the envelope.

Another object is to provide such a fastener embodying tongues which maybe more readily and accurately bent.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

Fasteners of this general type are formed with two integral lobesextending at right angles to the bendable tongues. In one form of suchfastener which has been employed, prongs are punched from the materialof these lobes. The envelope material is impaled by these prongs, andthe prongs are bent outwardly from the lobe perforation and downwardlyupon the envelope material, thereby clinching the fastener to the backwall of the envelope. These fasteners are objectionable in that thesharp points and/or edges of the prongs (which, of course, come insidethe envelope) are likely to engage and damage the envelope contents-as,for example, by tearing delicate fabrics or scratching the surface ofthe coated paper used in catalogues and booklets. Moreover, the holdingpower of these prongs is relatively limited because of the restrictedarea of their clinching engagement with the envelope material.Additionally, the points of the prongs cut the fibers of the material,and thus increase the likelihood of tearing out.

In another conventional form of such envelope fastener, holes arepunched through the lobes, and eyelets are passed therethrough andthrough holes in the envelope walk-these eyelets then being upset insidethe envelope. While this type of attaching means obviates the aforesaidobjectionable features of the prong attachment, it has the disadvantageof adding considerably to the cost of the fastener.

The present invention obviates the objectionable features of both theaforesaid types of fastener. It provides attaching means whereinprojecting sharp points and/or edges are eliminated, and the likelihoodof damage to the envelope contents is minimized; wherein the area ofclinching engagement of the fastener and the envelope wall is increased;wherein the envelope material is not cut in effecting the clinchingengagement; and wherein the additional cost of separate eyelets iseliminated.

The invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts, and

wherein l Fig. l is a fragmentary view of an outside portion of the backof an envelope, with the envelope fiap, showing a fastener embodyingfeatures of the present invention applied to such back.

Fig. 2 is fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, of an inside portionof the back of the envelope, the fastener-attaching means being shown insolid line and the outline of the fastener being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, on a further enlarged scale, taken on theline 3 3 of Fig. l, and viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section, on the same enlarged scale as Fig. 3,taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1,-and viewed in the direction indicatedby the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a form of the inventionmodified in respect of the tongue elements.

Referring to the drawing: Fig. l shows an envelope, designated generallyby the reference numeral l, having a fastener, designated generally by othe reference numeral 2, attached to the back, 3, of said envelope. Theclosure ap 4 of the envelope is provided with a reinforcing piece 5adhered thereto. A hole, 6, is punched through the flap 4 and thereinforcing piece 5. The tongues A.

are indicated by the reference numeral l, and the body of the fastenerby the reference numeral 8. The tongues are adapted to be bent upwardlyinto substantial parallelism, the flap 4 is then turned over against theback of the envelope, the tongues passing through the hole 6. Thetongues are then bent back at, thereby retaining the flap 4 in closedposition.

The fastener 2 is attached to the back wall of the envelope by means oftwo short, uniform eyelet tubes, 9, formed in the lobes I0 and integraltherewith. These eyelets are driven through the envelope wall and thenupset to form smooth, unbroken clinching flanges, l I. As appears fromFigs. 3 and 4, the upsetting of these eyelets bends the respectiveperipheral portions thereof outwardly and upwardly (as viewed in thedrawing). As further appears from Figs. 3 and 4, the rims of the lobesI0 are bent downwardly to render their inner surfaces concave. Thesedownwardly- Cit bent portions of the lobes encompass the upwardly andoutwardly bent peripheral portions of the eyelets, and co-operatetherewith securely to grip the interposed portion of the envelope wall,without, however, puncturing the wall material, as do the prongs of theconventional fastener. The likelihood of the fastener tearing out isthus minimized. It is further minimized by reason of the large andunbroken area of clinching engagement. With the present type ofattaching means, the Wall material is distorted into a form roughlyS-shape in cross-section, and this distortion contributes to the stronggripping action of the eyelets and lobes.

It will further be noted from Figs. 3 and 4'tha`t, by so upsetting theeyelets that their peripheral portions are bent upwardly, there are noprojecting rough edges of metal inside `the .envelope to tear or scratchthe envelope contentsthe only metal with which the contents contactvbeing the curved and Aunbroken `surfaces which define the bending zones:of the eyelets.

By vforming `the eyelets from the material .of the lobes, the cost ofseparate eyelets is eliminated, and rit 4becomes possible .tomanufacture and apply fasteners of .this type as cheaply as tomanufacture and applythoseof lthe `undesirable prong-attaching type, Therims of the lobes .IU may be concaved simultaneously with the forming-of the -eyelet tubes and with the same Vpunch and die, so that no extracost is involved in providing this improved clinching feature.

The tongues, `suchas 1 of thisltype of fastener have heretofore `beenformed with parallel sides, and, therefore, without lany definitebending zones. Another feature of the present inventin is shown in Fig.5, where these tongues, 7.a., ,are narrowed near thepoints wheretheyrespectively join the body, 8; and ,these oppositely-:disposed juncture`points :are vbroughticloser together than in thevconventional type offastener. The weakening of the Atongues `resulting from narrowing thisportion thereof provides a well-dened bending zone for each tongue, andfacilitates the bending tand re-bending thereof. VBy -indenting thejuncture points, the tongues are brought closer together when in theirupright position, and it becomes .possible .to `make the hole -5 of lessdiameter, `and Atoemploy .a reinforcing ypiece 5 of correspondingly`smaller size.

If desired, the ftongues may be narrowed at points removed from thepoints of juncture with the body, to localize ythe bending'of .thetongues at such s pacedpoints.

It is to be understood that the preferred embodiments of the inventionherein described and shown are merely illustrative, and that, withoutdeparting from the principle of the invention, they may be incorporatedin divers other forms and structures.

I claim:

1. In combination, an envelope and a fastener therefor, said fastenerbeing provided with a pair of bendable tongues and a pair of lobesintegral therewith, each of said lobes having formed therein an eyeletwhich passes through an envelope .wall and co-operates with its lobe toattach said fastener to said envelope, and each of Ysaid lobes havingconcave inner surface surrounding the eyelet to provide a recess forreceiving the edge portion of the upset eyelet, whereby Vthe material ofsaid envelope is embossed by, and confined directly between, completelycircular and complemental eyelet portions, integ-ral :with each otherand with said tongues. l

.2. In combination, an envelope yprovided with a flap `and a yfasten-ertherefor, said fastener having a pair .of ybendable tongues engagingsaid flap, and .a pair fof lobes integral with said tongues, `said lobesvhaving formed therein eyelets which pass Vthrough apertures in theenvelope wall and which co-operate with said lobes to clinchannularareas of materials surrounding 1 such apertures, -in order Vtoattach said fastener to saidenvelope, said lobes having annular recesses.surrounding the eyelets in which vrecesses theedges-of .the upseteyelets seat the contiguous margins of the material.

.3.. ,-In combination, a-n envelope provided with a flap and a fastenertherefor, said fastener hav-4 inga pair'oi bendable tongues engagingsaid flap, and va, pair of lobes integral with said tongues, said lobeshaving `formed therein eyelets which pass `through apertures in theenvelope wall and which co-operate :with saidlobes to clinch annularareas of .material surrounding such apertures, .in order `to `attachsaid fastener to said envelope, said lobes having ridges of toric.contour embossed therein and extending above the level of the material,to provide completely .annular recesses surrounding :the reyelets, in4which recesses theiedgesof the 'upset eyelets seat the contiguousmargins :of -the material, l:bending rsaid Vmargins above vthe surfaceof the inner .wall of the envelope and ,leaving the latter even andfsmooth at -the rregion 'of attachment.

ABRAHAM .NOVICK

